Odin Confirmed for “Thor: Ragnarok”

When you manage to get talent like Anthony Hopkins, it makes sense to use it as much as you can and Hopkins’ portrayal of Odin seems to have earned him another paycheck if the newest promotional material for “Thor: Ragnarok” is anything to go by.

While Hopkins played the one-eyed Odin, ruler of Asgard and father to Thor, the conclusion of “Thor: The Dark World” revealed that the trickster known as Loki had now only faked his demise but had been posing as Odin for some time. It was not until a post-credits exchange in “Doctor Strange” that any clarity could be gained about the situation in Asgard; Thor is chatting with Steven Strange, commenting about more Asgardians coming to Earth. Thor and his half-brother Loki had been seeking out Odin, presuming that he is somewhere on Midgard/Earth. Thor: Ragnarok, set to release later this year, will likely serve as the conclusion to this storyline. A new poster for the film, debuting immediately after its Japanese trailer, was uploaded to Marvel’s Instragram and features Odin among the many characters displayed.

The most information that fans have is that Odin is alive somewhere on Earth. While no one knows quite how Loki dispatched the “All-Father,” that information will likely be revealed over the course of Ragnarok. While previous behind-the-camera material showed an unkempt Odin, the latest poster shows the Asgardian in his full splendor.

With the potential return of Odin, it is believed his absence is what instigated Hela’s decision to claim the throne. If Odin’s scenes come after Hela’s destruction of Mjolinr’s, it could be that the Asgardian trio will be stuck on Earth. While this latter theory does not mesh with the sort of content involving the Grandmaster and a gladiator Hulk, fans can expect some sort of interplay between Odin and his kin on Earth.

Another rumor is that Ragnarok could be the swan song for Odin. With the death of Frigga in The Dark World, Ragnarok may slip the death of Odin in between its big neon sequences and over-the-top throwdowns with giant, angry, green men. Yes, Odin is on posters but the character has not made a single appearance in any of the film’s trailers. While Ragnarok is being billed as the shortest film in the growing MCU archive, Odin’s death would give the film a somber conclusion.